News and updates on the work of Scottish actors around the world.
REX IS NOT YOUR LAWYER: This off-cycle pilot staged a comeback after being pronounced dead when the network didn’t pick it up for midseason. The legal drama’s producers did more work on the pilot they had originally rushed, including adding voiceover. The reworked pilot tested well, and the project has received an order for two back-up scripts. [Deadline via ONTD!]
Q: So you knew something about the era before taking this new role. Did you know much about Darwin?
Cusick: No, I didn't. And he's been sort of misinterpreted, I think. It's going to be really interesting for any creationists—if they tune in, which I don't know if they will—to see what a family man he was, what a religious man he was in the beginning, and how he sat on this information for such a long time. Because his dilemma was: Do I publish or do I not?
Q: In the film, the death of Darwin's two children, particularly his daughter Annie, is very pivotal. Did having kids yourself help you prepare for those scenes?
Cusick: I think any parent, at some time or other, has thoughts of their child dying. That's probably one of the worst things that could ever happen to a parent. So yes, it certainly made it easier for me to play, having children of my own.
Q: Were you surprised by anything you learned about Darwin or his theory through the course of doing this project?
Cusick: Yes. You know, for all the creationists out there, Darwin's just an atheist. But he was actually agnostic. There's a passage in the film in which he says that he doesn't know where the initial spark of life came from, you know? He thought that that spark of life came to Earth, and then from that one spark all these other things were created. And I think that's a very honest and open view. I don't see how anyone can say he's anti-Bible, anti-God. He's saying he just doesn't know. He doesn't know where the first spark came from.
The passage in the script, from Darwin's own writing, goes: "I think there's beauty—and grandeur—in a view of life having been originally breathed into perhaps a single form, and that from so simple a beginning, endless forms, most beautiful and wonderful, have been and are being evolved."
Be sure to go here for the entire interview and be sure to check out the new website.
Don't forget that the the two-hour drama premieres Tuesday, October 6th at 8PM ET/PT on PBS.
Here's what you'll find on the companion website:
A NOVA Drama
In this Q&A, Paula Apsell, Senior Executive Producer of NOVA explains why she wanted to bring Darwin to life through a scripted drama, and the importance of keeping the topic of evolution in the spotlight.Explore the Galapagos
Of all places on Earth, this island chain may be the most important to our understanding of evolution. On this interactive map, tour the Galapagos and get a sense of their signature wildlife species and geology through video, audio, and panoramic images. Also, learn how visiting the islands inspired Darwin's thinking.Parallel Lives
In this article, Sean Carroll, one of the luminaries of evolutionary science today, reflects on the parallel discoveries Darwin and Wallace made on each man's road to understanding evolution's primary mechanism, natural selection.The Scriptwriter's Story: Capturing Darwin's Dilemma
In this interview, scriptwriter John Goldsmith discusses how the dialogue, characters, and events of the drama relate to the historical record, and the extraordinary research he did to get the details right.The Actor's Story: Being Charles Darwin
Henry Ian Cusick, widely known as Desmond Hume in the hit series "Lost," relished his chance to take on the role of a very different character. He knew little about Darwin at the outset of the project, and stepping into Darwin's shoes changed Cusick's views about the man and evolution in general.Watch the Program
Beginning the day after "Darwin's Darkest Hour" premieres on television, you can view the entire program online at anytime.
In this show, Sean plays Bobby Attfield who finds a man near death sprawled out on a cliff. His final, enigmatic words, "Why didn't they ask Evans?" On a whim, Bobby and his friend, socialite Frankie Derwent, decide to investigate. The amateur sleuths, along with Miss Marple, uncover several enticing clues. [Wizard News]
